


The Hunting Life

by chelseawinchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 05:17:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8831908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseawinchester/pseuds/chelseawinchester





	

You loved hunting. You loved the job and the adventure that went with it. Most of all, you loved saving people. You had been on over a hundred hunts and the satisfaction that came with seeing people saved from monsters would always come after a hunt. Sure, actually killing the monsters was satisfying too, but mostly it was about saving people. You had never met anyone else that loved saving people as much as you do until you met the Winchesters. Everyone else was so concerned with revenge—and of course you knew that the Winchesters started hunting because of revenge, but they kept doing it to save people. And you admired that.

You got started because a friend of yours had a poltergeist, and Rufus Turner was the one who came to investigate. You saw how he worked, doing research and getting rid of the poltergeist rather easily (which of course meant everything inside was strewn about, but poltergeists are nasty sons-of-bitches). After he got rid of the poltergeist, you sat down with him and asked him how he started hunting, and how you might get into it. Naturally, he said there was no way someone as young as you (you were 24 at the time) who had her whole life ahead of her should be getting into hunting. But you were so stubborn and you kept asking him, and eventually he had no choice but to tell you. 

You left home, abandoning your plan to become a forensic investigator, and took up the hunting life. It wasn’t easy, but you got the hang of it after a while. On several hunts you almost lost your life, nearly making you decide to give up hunting—but you always remembered the people you saved, and immediately gave up the idea.

You met the Winchesters on a hunt six months ago, when you were hunting a nest of vampires, 10 easily. The brothers were at the local police station when you walked in, introducing yourself as Agent Nicks. They went by Bonham and Jones at the time, and as you were leaving the station, they picked up on your name and you on theirs. You thought you might as well work together on the case, and it turned out to be a good thing when you saw how big the nest was. Sam and Dean seemed impressed when you took four vamps down easily. That’s when they asked how you got into the business and you told them your story. Dean was surprised it wasn’t revenge; that’s how most people got their start. Sam told you to call any time you needed help on a hunt, and you went your separate ways.

You saw them again four months later. You called Sam for help on a demon hunt, and the brothers showed up within 24 hours. The hunt wasn’t too bad, and when it was over, they asked if you wanted to go to the bunker and check out the library. You said yes before they even finished the question, wanting to learn as much as you could about the supernatural world.

After a week in the bunker—because it took that long to go through everything—you were starting to get used to staying there. So of course you said yes when Sam asked if you wanted to stay; you enjoyed having a place to keep your things and a bed to sleep on every night. 

That was two months ago. You’d been with the Winchesters ever since, helping on hunts, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. Believe it or not, you enjoyed doing that kind of stuff. You never craved a normal life, but getting a glimpse into it was nice. You were pretty sure Sam and Dean enjoyed having you around so they didn’t have to do those chores; you were also pretty good at your job, so you also had that going for you.

There was one hunt the three of you went on that was pretty rough. This werewolf managed to split the three of you up, and it got hold of Dean. It almost killed him; he was torn up pretty badly, and although he didn’t tell you the details, you knew that the fight was bad. You found him just in time, shot the werewolf, and immediately began to check out his injuries. You called Sam while making sure Dean wouldn’t bleed out and told him where you were. He got there quick and helped you with Dean. The two of you took him to the hospital in the Impala, and you stayed with Dean in the backseat as Sam drove—Dean would have killed Sam if he let you drive. So you stuck with Dean, keeping pressure on his most severe wounds.

You got to the hospital in about twenty minutes and Dean was taken up to surgery to fix the internal bleeding that neither you nor Sam were aware of. You and Sam didn’t speak in the waiting room—you were both thinking about the possible outcomes of the situation; all but one terrified you. Then the doctor came out and said everything would be fine, and he would be coming out of anesthesia soon. You and Sam hurried up to Dean’s room, afraid of missing him wake up.

Dean was in good spirits when he woke up, talking about how he actually kicked the werewolf’s ass, but the wolf just happened to get in a couple of really bad hits. You neglected to mention that he nearly bled out and was bleeding internally and was also saved by a girl. You enjoyed seeing him this way more than if you told him.

At some point, Sam left the room and it was just you and Dean. “Thanks for saving me, Y/N/N,” he said.

“Don’t mention it,” you responded. You didn’t think he would remember that after being thrown against a wall and taking a pretty hard hit to the head.

“I mean it. I’d be dead if it weren’t for your nearly-impeccable timing.”

“Nearly?”

“I had to have surgery, didn’t I?” he laughed.

“Yeah, you’re right. I should have come in earlier.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I’m so grateful that you even came in at all. I thought I was dead, Y/N.”

“Sam and I would never let that happen.” 

Dean paused for a moment. “Y/N, why have you stuck around for so long? Don’t get me wrong, we love having you around, but I was just wondering… why do you want to stay?”

You thought about it for a minute before answering. “First of all, I like having a place to stay all the time that doesn’t put a dent in the money I’ve earned.” Dean chuckled. “Second, I just kind of like being in a place with other hunters who I can go on hunts with who I know have my back. Plus I’ve kind of learned to like you guys.”

Dean smiled. “We’ve kind of learned to like you too. I like that you cook, clean, do the laundry…” he trailed off, and you lightly pushed him in the arm. He laughed and said, “I’m just teasing, Y/N.”

“I know. Thank you for letting me stay there. It’s like your home and you let me in, and I really appreciate it.”

“You don’t have to thank us. We’re glad to have you.”

A few days later, when the doctors were satisfied with Dean’s condition, they let him go and the three of you headed back to the bunker. There were several hunts after that, most of which you went on. There were some where you’d stay at the bunker and have some time to yourself, something you hadn’t had a lot of since you settled in at the bunker. There were other times you went on a hunt alone with Sam or Dean. You became good friends with Sam, telling him everything about everything. He did the same with you, telling you more about his and Dean’s lives—mostly interesting hunts they’d been on, like the mystery spot, or the angels that they met. He told you how undertook trials to close the gates of hell and that a friend of theirs, Kevin, was trying to figure out the next two in a series of three. They didn’t know how it was going to go or what it was going to take, but they were going to close the freaking gates of hell, so it had to be worth it.

The hunts with Dean were your favorite. You two worked so well together; if someone watched how you hunted, it would look easy. You also had the same taste in music and you often found yourselves singing along to the music at the top of your lungs. You two just had fun together; hunts were better that way. You found yourself enjoying yourself way more than you had when it was just you. You liked having someone else with you who understood the life and wanted to have fun living it.

There was one night when you were in the bunker and you had an awful nightmare. You were stranded in the woods with your parents, who both died before you got into the life. You were being chased by something—as a hunter, you knew it was likely a wendigo—but in your dream, you weren’t a hunter and didn’t know what a wendigo was. You were running for your lives, but the wendigo caught up with you and killed your parents; he saved you for future meals.

Dean ran into your room and woke you up, telling you that you were screaming in your sleep. You told him about your nightmare, and he asked if you wanted him to stay. You said yes, knowing you would feel better if he were there. Honestly, it felt a bit childish to you, but you needed it for one night. Dean laid down next to you, and you managed to fall asleep eventually. When you woke up, you were curled up with your head on Dean’s chest; he was already awake. 

“Hey. Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I did,” you replied, grinning. You had never thought about Dean in a way other than friendship, but something was changing. Suddenly those green eyes of his weren’t just green eyes; you could almost get lost in them. His embrace made you feel warm inside, as if it were the safest place in the world to be. You weren’t sure what changed; maybe it was the fact that he came running to your room when you were screaming, or the fact that he stayed with you, or maybe he had been growing on you since you met him. 

You didn’t know, and frankly, you didn’t really care. You knew he probably didn’t return those feelings. He most likely saw you as a best friend or maybe a sister. You were happy as long as you got to continue hanging out with him like you were. 

Sam continued the trials and you saw him getting really sick. Dean was so worried for him; it was almost all he could talk about when you were alone. He wanted to take over the trials from Sam, but Sam refused. Secretly you were glad Sam wouldn’t let him. Granted, you didn’t want Sam doing the trials either, but you sure as hell didn’t want Dean to become as sick as Sam was. 

The last trial almost killed Sam, which in turn nearly killed Dean. He stayed by his brother’s bedside at the hospital as Sam did when Dean was nearly killed by the werewolf. He didn’t tell you that he had prayed for help from the angels until they were descending on the hospital. Ezekiel showed up, and Dean told you he asked for an angel’s help. He wanted to have Ezekiel possess Sam and heal him. You objected; not because you didn’t want Sam to get better, God knows you did, but you knew Sam pretty well and you knew he would hate being possessed by an angel, and he would hate you two for letting it happen. Dean insisted, though, and it happened anyway. 

On numerous occasions, Crowley, who was tied up in the dungeon, tried to get out of his bonds by offering you your parents back in exchange for his freedom. Although you missed your parents, who were taken from you at a fairly young age, that wasn’t the way to get to you. Each time you said no deal and asked Crowley for names of demons who could lead to Abaddon. 

You met Charlie, who was the biggest ball of sunshine you’d ever met. She taught you some stuff about computers before going off to Oz. She and Dorothy offered to let you go with, but you wanted to be in your world saving people with Sam and Dean.

You continued to work little cases here and there, mostly with both Sam and Dean. Sometimes Ezekiel would talk to you and Dean about Sam’s condition. Sam was getting more and more suspicious, possibly close to figuring everything out. But you and Dean tried to keep him from worrying, telling him it was just the trials messing with him.

It was when Kevin was killed that everything changed. Ezekiel, who was actually Gadreel, had run away in Sam’s body. Dean was blaming himself for Kevin’s death because he insisted on letting Gadreel into Sam’s body. 

“Dean, it’s not your fault. You did what you believed was right. How were you supposed to know that Ezekiel wasn’t who he said he was?”

“I should have listened to you! You were right! And now Kevin is dead and Sam is gone, and the other person I care about is probably in danger too because she’s friends with me. Everyone I’ve ever cared about gets hurt.”

“I haven’t, have I?”

“Yet. But, like Sam, you’re one of my weaknesses. If someone tries to hurt you, all rational thought out the window.”

“I’m just as stubborn as you are, which is saying a lot; I won’t get hurt, I promise.” You wondered what he meant when he said that he cared about you. Was it as a friend or sister or did he have the same feelings you had?

“Look, Y/N, I know you’re tough. You’re one of the best hunters I know, but that’s not going to stop me from worrying about you every time I’m not on a hunt with you.”

“Aww, you care about me!” you teased. 

“Of course I do,” he said softly. “Y/N… how can I not?” He started to lean in, looking at you to make sure it was okay. You gave him a small smile and closed the gap between the two of you. Your lips met in a soft kiss, his lips gently exploring yours. 

He pulled away, looking at you with his beautiful green eyes. “After all those hunts, those shared motel rooms, you talking so passionately about saving people, how could I not have feelings for you?” You bit your lip as you did when you blushed. “Y/N, I love you, and that means I’m going to worry about you, whether you’re an amazing hunter or not.”

“I love you too, Dean,” you said. “I have for a while now, but I didn’t think you’d return the sentiment.”

“I have since I had the pleasure of you sleeping next to me that night I came in your room when you had a nightmare.”

You smile at Dean, amazed that someone like him could love you.

After that night, you went on more hunts together than you had before. In fact, the first time you two made love was in a motel room after a good hunt. Even though it was in a crappy motel room, it was still incredibly romantic.

When Dean got the Mark of Cain, he changed. It didn’t affect your relationship much; he was just as caring, just as loving with you, but overall he was angrier. There were times he would kill an entire nest of vampires all by himself—when the nest was more than 6 vamps. You weren’t exactly happy about it, but he came out okay. He seemed too eager to kill Abaddon and Metatron, and it worried you. But at the end of the day, he still came back to you and you laid in bed together and fell asleep next to each other.

He died a while later. It killed you. You couldn’t handle it, especially when he left a note saying, “Sammy, Y/N/N, let me go.” All you and Sam knew was that he was a demon; you didn’t know where he was, who he was with, or if he was still himself. But you and Sam still tried to find him. You tried so hard, and when you found him, he was hanging out with Crowley, screwing random women he picked up in bars and doing Crowley’s dirty work. You and Sam got him home and tried to cure him. He said some nasty things when he was a demon. He told you he never loved you and that he enjoyed screwing those women way more than you; they were so much more beautiful, and you were just convenient. You knew it was the demon side of him talking, it wasn’t really who Dean was, but it still looked like him and sounded like him.

Sam finally cured him and Dean apologized profusely. He told you he didn’t mean a word of what he said and that he loved you more that you could possibly imagine. He showed you how much; it was the best sex you’d had in your life. It took a little while, but eventually your relationship healed. It helped when Sam told you that Dean never looked at anyone, not even Lisa or Cassie, the way he looked at you.

You then had to work through the Mark of Cain, which took so much effort from you, Sam, and Dean. He was so violent on hunts, and you could see the Mark taking over Dean. Every time he got in that mindset, you walked over to him, carefully, and touched him on the arm, telling him, “Babe, it’s okay. I’m here.” Most of the time that made him relax. It made you so happy to see that you could calm him down from the Mark, almost to the point of tears. It really showed how much he needed you, how much he loved you.

However, he kept getting worse and worse, and you needed to get the damn Mark off of his arm. That’s when Charlie found the Book of the Damned, and you, Rowena, Charlie, Cas, and Sam all tried to use the book to remove the Mark. You and Charlie used a computer program to try and decode the codex, but the two of you butted heads with Rowena too much, and you took off when Cas wasn’t around. You were at a crappy motel when one of the Steins, who wanted the book (and were willing to kill for it), came knocking. You and Charlie thought you could fight, but this guy was too strong.

Sam and Dean found yours and Charlie’s bodies in the motel that night. Dean was unable to comprehend what had happened and shut down, while Sam was completely torn apart. Dean blamed Sam, and killed the Steins in a huge massacre. After that, he spent some time locked in his room, mourning your death. He wouldn’t let Sam or Cas in; he would just drink whiskey (way more than he should have) and sleep. Losing you was the worst thing, aside from losing Sam, that could have happened to Dean. He tried to have you brought back, but no one would do it.  
___

Sitting in your own personal heaven, you wonder if when Dean dies, he’ll join you. You wonder if you’ll ever look into those green eyes again, if those strong arms will hold you, if you’ll get to see his face except in your memories. You wonder if you’ll ever see the man you love again.


End file.
